Four million people are in the firing line of Cyclone Alfred. It's expected to hit between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast - a stretch of Australia known for its beautiful beaches and top surf – as well as Brisbane, Australia's third-biggest city.

A senior meteorologist said while the cyclone's movement slowed overnight, that could mean further destruction.

Significant damage and power outages are possible in the densely populated region of Queensland, where tropical cyclones impacts are not uncommon, but direct landfalls are.